Dan Young
Age: 53
Years of residence in Sandpoint and Bonner County: 39
Marital status/family: Single
How can the public contact you?
208-290-2249, 108 N. 3rd Ave., Sandpoint 83864; or e-mail [email protected]
Web site: Bashful-Dan.com
Qualifications
Education:
• Class of 1972 – SHS
• Pacific NW Aquatic Institute Candidate
• Lifeguard City Beach
• Ski Patrol Schweitzer Mountain
• Chapman College, University of Maryland, University of Nebraska Omaha (others)
• NCO Leadership School in Residence
Recent or pertinent employment history:
• 13 Years United States Air Force (USAF)
• 325th Bomb Squadron
• HQ SAC Intelligence Assignments
• Department of Defense Armed Forces Courier Service
• Decorations Include Air Force Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and Humanitarian Service Medal
• Dayco Entertainment Company
• Broker, Owner – Rainbow Realty
Public offices held: None
Nonprofit groups, service or professional organizations to which you belong:
• Sandpoint Greater Area Chamber of Commerce
• Downtown Sandpoint Business Association
• Rotary Club of Sandpoint
• Past President Air Force Sergeants Association
• Complete Music Service (CMS): Provides leadership and service opportunities to area teens and provides free support to dozens of Community Events each year
What particular experiences or skills quality you for office?
A. Business, Management, & Leadership Experience
1. General Defense Intelligence Program Budget Team Member
2. Budget Formulation & Financial Management
3. Operations & Management & Administrative Team Chief
4. Organized analytic assessments and evaluations in support of policy development, decision-making, management and administration.
5. Auditing, Program Monitoring, & Training
6. Procurement, Commercial Contracting, & Purchasing
7. Economic Restructuring and Revitalization Committees
B. Community & Volunteer Team & Leadership Experience
1. Extensive Legislative Support Experience includes Autism Bill and Oxygen Tank Legislation with 109th and 110th Congress
2. Extensive Appeal Preparation for local Board of Equalization and State BOE
3. Area Agency on Aging Volunteer & Grant Acquisition Team
4. Rides Program for Seniors
5. Northern Idaho Health Conference Participant
6. Business Recruitment
7. Hosted Speak Up North Idaho – Community Issues & Programs
8. KPND-FM Breakfast in Bed with Bashful Dan – Morning Drive Time Show
9. Pro-tec Teen and other Youth issues including Foster Care
10. Education Issues at local and state level
11. Extensive work on behalf of Idaho’s families and children
12. Owner/Broker Rainbow Realty Founded by June & Jack Young in 1971
13. My participation with just about every fraternal, service, and youth organization through community events provides a terrific connection and understanding of Sandpoint through the eyes and lives of youth to seniors and everyone in between.
C. Directly responsible for bringing Rally in the Valley to Sandpoint. An event specifically designed to honor America and those who serve. This was an Honor America Day event under U.S. Code.
D. Directly responsible for securing the one of 50 State GOP Conventions for Sandpoint in June 2008.
E. Currently planning Rally in the Valley 2008.
Candidate Positions
1. Among the myriad issues facing the city at present, what do you consider the single most important issue facing the City of Sandpoint?
Growth. It is a constant part of the equation regardless of what issue is on the table. You would not try to stick your high school senior in the clothes they wore in the first grade. No matter how much they loved those outfits they simply do not fit anymore. Smart parents and good governments plan for the future. I believe we can live better lives on less ground by using our land more efficiently. Growth planning should:
1. Involve the stakeholders from every layer of the onion in Sandpoint to include various citizens groups, developers, green spacers, landowners, elected officials, city staff and business owners.
2. Pay attention to creating green spaces in the neighborhoods so folks have a gathering place that welcomes people with different incomes, households, and viewpoints yet are bound together by their neighborhood. A convenient place for kids to play and neighbors get to know each other. In our current green places maybe we should make small adjustments like moving the swings out of the darker areas in the trees at Lakeview Park and locating them near the new playground equipment.
3. Consider more emphasis on compact development, diverse housing, and connecting our green spaces and subdivisions via walking and biking rather than relying on a vehicle. Look to areas of the city where we combine public services, employment, retail, housing, and education.
4. When new neighborhoods are planned they should include alternatives to our car culture. Everything is on table to include walking, biking, public transit, van pools, telecommuting and driving; and each option should be supported by elected officials and planners.
5. A regional approach involving Dover, Kootenai, Ponderay, Sandpoint, Sagle, and County government should continue to be explored and experimented with by elected officials, citizens and all other stakeholders. Together we can craft cooperative plans to ensure that our zoning and land development ordinances are consistent. Comprehensive plans at the city level could span boundaries by identifying and perhaps designating areas that remain unchanged and places for future growth only now we are doing it on a regional basis. It's changing our viewpoint from looking out the car window to hovering in a helicopter and taking a good look around.
6. Inconsistent ordinances from one jurisdiction to another encourage development where the developer's costs are lower but the cost is higher to the area when you consider all factors. Land use policies, regulations, impacts such as infrastructure, public safety, and transportation must be consistent, all planning codes should be tools that provide uniformity and work together to enable developers to perform for profit but in line with the community vision for our city and its neighborhoods.
2. Housing prices have increased dramatically in Sandpoint, while local wages are increasing far more slowly – effectively precluding many residents who work in the local economy from purchasing a home. For the past year city staff and a group of local employers have been searching for housing solutions. What are your ideas for creating affordable housing for our residents who work here?
People are working hard on this issue must be blended with growth. You cannot say that you have a solution to this problem and hang it in a framed mirror. You need to break the mirror with a hammer and then look at the individual pieces. Each piece is a separate part of the solution and when you work hard enough on them you will get a nice fit that will help address what is an ongoing issue for our city. Our solutions will be affected in part by job creation, increased or retained tax base, economic growth, and sustaining stability that also ensures a high quality of life. Density and mixed use must be on the table for discussion to ensure that all stakeholders are represented and all options are thoroughly explored. Keeping that in mind we should work together to:
1. Use our land more efficiently. Our local economy has changed since I was a kid when just about everyone worked in the timber industry. We have more information and service economy workers landing in Sandpoint. We have a market for live and work housing. We have professionals and part timers working in home offices and these folks like the idea of coffee shops, lunch spots, and maybe some services or business supplies being available. This includes telecommuters, parents that prefer spending more time with their kids than commuting, college students, and others. We need mixed use that is carefully planned and considers everyone and all situations.
2. Make better use of existing infrastructure by increasing density where it is appropriate. Walkable neighborhoods in Sandpoint make more sense if they are thoughtfully planned residential and non-residential uses. Walk to school, walk to get a bite to eat, pick up some milk and bread and do all within a fifteen minute walk of your parked car. We need to ask; is it possible to incorporate this in any of our existing or planned neighborhood developments?
3. New developments should give builders the flexibility to mix it up by allowing both single and multi-family housing. Increased density means less land per widget, reduces site prep, and can lower per unit infrastructure costs and together that can reduce the hard costs of construction. This may result in developers producing more housing at a lower cost to the homeowner.
4. Higher density leads to public transit making more sense, increases our transportation options and may result in less or shorter vehicle trips. Density takes away the need to use every single open space available which can mean more green space preservation for all of the citizens to enjoy and benefit from.
5. Traditional home buyers and developers in new neighborhoods should also consider how much value and energy can be added if the neighborhood included granny-flats, loft style housing, condos, live-work widgets, garden apartments, or row houses. New code could be crafted to allow some changes that will let us take advantage of existing infrastructure and put people within walking or biking distance to their jobs and social activities which in turn lowers their personal costs and takes away some of the parking burden.
6. Community Land Trusts have made affordable housing a dream come true in America and we need to look at all the variations that exist and not fall in love with the first model that comes along. In its most simple form you can think of it as a way that a buyer can purchase a home for less and get the benefits of home ownership like tax deduction for mortgage interest, wealth accumulation via equity, and stable housing costs for their budget. In return for having a path to home ownership that would not otherwise exist for a specific homeowner they give up the potential of huge profits and make it available as affordable housing again.
3. Two resort city tax proposals will be on the ballot in November. Do you favor or oppose continuing the existing 5% tax on lodging? Do you favor or oppose the new proposed 2% tax on liquor by the drink? And in each case, why?
Yes to lodging. I embrace most ideas that have visitors contributing to Sandpoint. I am going to vote for the liquor by the drink tax. Since this tax will affect locals it is appropriate that it must be voted on by the locals and approved by at least 60% of the voters. We need to remember that any revenue collected over the amount budgeted comes back to the citizens of Sandpoint in the form of property tax relief. Remember the bed tax brought over $76,000 dollars to property tax relief. Paying more for a drink may contribute to lowering fixed income folks taxes. It will not stop me from enjoying the food and drink at Ivano's and it will not deter me from purchasing some of Steve's award winning wine either. The bottom line is that it's tough to be in business and there are some unbelievable costs for the owners. They work hard for a profit and hate the idea of passing extra costs along to the local consumer or having even more paperwork. If the voters pass this measure, we better make sure that those collecting revenue on the front lines look at what local government does with the money and that it makes sense.
4. What conditions – for example, impact fees or provisions for affordable housing – should the city place on requests by adjacent property owners for annexation into the city?
The intention of Impact Fees is make new development pay its own way for both services and infrastructure. We need to consider graduated fees that reflect the benefits of developments that make the most efficient use of public investments. We need to avoid impact fees that that make no distinction between areas where we must deliver new infrastructure, plus police, fire, and other services and development that occurs in areas already served. I support impact fees that are sensible to the city and builders. The goal will always be to welcome changes via annexation that benefit the citizens of Sandpoint and does not cost them financially or degrade their quality of life.
Provisions for affordable housing are like items on the menu at your favorite restaurant. There are so many choices and they are grouped under many headings. We need to check out the entire menu and find the sensible choices that are working in other communities.
5. Downtown traffic and parking are two oft-cited city ills. There are efforts currently under way by the City and the DSBA to improve parking. Do you think these efforts are on the right track? What would you do to improve parking downtown?
The Hudson plan has resulted in many people working to implement some short term solutions and focusing on some long term solutions. There will not be a quick fix to this area of growth planning and it will require constant attention to ensure all options are evaluated and that when a portion begins to become ineffective we move to improve and keep our solutions current and viable.
1. Voluntary parking spots offered by businesses on weekends and after hours could be identified with a simple standard sign and note allowed hours.
2. Park and Ride at the SHS parking lot in the summer time (except for the day of the Sandpoint Shootout of course). This could result in a financial gain for the school district? It would encourage entrepreneurship like trams, electric trolley, or even Pedi cabs. Good for the environment, economy, and takes pressure off the downtown area. The bottom line is that we need to look at everything before we lock the process into stone, keeping every possible solution on the table for discussion.
3. Park and Ride at City Beach in winter but use enclosed tram, shuttle bus, etc., to transport shivering workers from their nice warm cars to their work sites downtown. Shuttle should be available again over lunch period and after work. Shuttle down time is when they could provide transportation to seniors to go from home to medical appointments and back perhaps.
4. Parking garage? Sure. We should have done it back in 1971 or 1972. I would love to bring the stakeholders back to the table to definitely include Panhandle State Bank, Bonner General Hospital, Bonner County, citizen's groups, and anyone with a great idea. We could have our meetings at Joel's. Bottom line is that it is imperative that all stakeholders must be included and work as a team to develop the best possible solutions for Sandpoint.
5. Park n ride stops the endless circling of Sandpoint by cars, trucks, and motor homes pulling toads (cars or boats). They make a pass following the signs to the park n ride and that can help eliminate some of summer congestion when the daytime population rises from about 40,000 people in this county to around 100,000 people.
6. We must work on traffic solutions within the city limits and take into account future development while we design those answers. If all stakeholders are included in this process we will craft many good ideas. Once they are on the table we need to pick a few and get going.
6. Although the Idaho Transportation Department was recently granted a permit for the Sand Creek bypass, it has conditions to meet and also faces a lawsuit from opponents. As the bypass will have major impacts on the city, voters want to know where candidates stand.
First: Do you favor or oppose the Sand Creek route for a bypass, and why?
I have always supported the bypass. If Lewis and Clark had a helicopter they would have put it in the most logical north and south corridor visible which is where it's going. They are not going to move the trains. You cannot go west or through the neighborhoods off Superior. Who owns a home in the path of the alternate routes that would agree that their family and neighborhood memories and history are expendable? The route makes sense. It's 2007 and we should expect the best job possible be done and done right the first time.
Second: Among the issues involved, an offer by ITD to give the city land alongside the bypass in exchange for maintaining a new park has been a matter of contention; do you favor or oppose that proposal?
Parking lot or park I definitely favor Sandpoint getting this ground. I did have one Mom wonder if there would some type of barrier or design feature that would prevent trains or automobiles from landing in a park located here. Let's get it and do something wonderful and sensible with the site.
Third: ITD has made no commitment to turn control of the Highway 95 route along First, Cedar and Fifth back to the city after the bypass is built; do you believe that should be a condition for the city to support the bypass?
ITD has made no commitment to turn control of the Highway 95 route along First, Cedar and Fifth back to the city after the bypass is built; do you believe that should be a condition for the city to support the bypass?
If a stipulation is allowed and did not cause other problems for Sandpoint I would be in favor of a written agreement that holds all parties accountable to their promises. I would like to have the downtown back. Remember when we use to cruise the gut every Friday and Saturday night with two way traffic. We would circle through Cochran's gas station and loop through town to City Beach and repeat. Two way traffic, angle parking, and more bike racks – we could really benefit from having local control. We need to remember that if anything shut down the bypass that we will need a detour route through town. I could not find an example where ITD is maintaining dual routes except for Hope, Idaho where it's my understanding the city elected not to take the street back.
7. On traffic issues: even if construction of the bypass begins soon, ITD says it will take several years to build. Do you believe the city should seek traffic solutions more immediately – and what would they be?
The Mayor, City Council Members, City Staff, DSBA board and members – everyone is and should be generating traffic solutions that are practical, easily funded, and implemented. It will take a mix of short term and long term plans. A critical planning component is to prepare and protect the downtown during the construction of the bypass. Hopefully they will take a lot of the dirt out on the north end but the way our streets and street lights are laid out we are going to have some serious gridlock if we do nothing. The Urban Transportation Plan is available and incorporates some of the most workable solutions.
8. Why are you running for public office?
Service. I have a record of serving our community and serving our country. I believe that participating at the municipal level is duty that should be shared. At the city level you should be able to accomplish quite a bit in one or two terms. Anything you have championed for two terms will continue to flourish if it had merit. We all need to find someone in our neighborhood, small group, fraternal organization, or our own household that will offer to serve. Library board, city commissions, school boards, and city council positions should refresh themselves. More people would be involved because they know someone that is trying to make a difference. Everyone should make an attempt to find the time or find someone else to step up to take a seat at the table and promise to do their best. I promise that if I am elected to the City Council I will support solutions that will make sense to 8 out of 10 people walking out of Safeway.
If you are elected, how much time will you be able to devote each week to your position?
Every hour, minute, and second that it takes to ensure thorough preparation and understanding of every issue being considered that will affect the citizens of Sandpoint. I will serve one 2-Year term and step aside for the next person to take their turn.
9. Describe any other issues you believe are important; why you consider them important; and your position on these issues.
1. Regional Recreation Hub. We have one in the Bonner County Fairgrounds and it is in the city limits. We just need to get folks thinking of it differently. I believe the fairgrounds could incorporate a wider variety of use resulting in more support from a broader segment of our population. The Bonner County Fairgrounds means so much to so many and has never achieved the level of attention it deserves. The Bonner County Fair Foundation and the Fair Board need a much broader base of support to meet just the minimum standards of maintenance and improvements. I will continue to support events year round at the Fairgrounds and work with others to find ways to unlock more of the potential that exists.
2. Health Initiatives. We are an aging society and must encourage, support, and facilitate health initiatives that benefit the aging adults in our city and establish healthy habits in our youth.
a. Support the work initiated by Lora Cartelli and Bonner Partners in Care for the uninsured and under-insured. Most families are one medical emergency from being destroyed financially. This is a level of participation in the overall health care crisis that makes a difference.
b. Encourage people of all ages to engage in life sports. Find an activity that you enjoy and do it on a regular basis. Walking, biking, and paddling a boat, tennis, Frisbee … something that will keep you healthy.
c. Edfo. Education and Information made available to the public in more creative ways. Let's say we want to educate and inform about diabetes. Bonner General Hospital has many stories about kids of all ages that have arrived at the hospital with a blood glucose level of 500 or more. These young people have gone undiagnosed, did not recognize the warning signs and neither did their families, friends, or teachers. How about a DVD with many kids giving a couple lines of information and education and making that DVD available at the Movie Gallery as a free/donation rental, classrooms, and civic organizations?
I will work with the Park and Recreation Department Head to evaluate how the city can work with BGH, the senior center, assisted living centers, and other stakeholders to provide programs that encourage and enhance a better physical quality of life. There is more to address but everyone knows that all of us save money when we have a healthier population and workforce. It costs more money to repair your car after the transmission is blown than it does to make sure everyone has a quart of transmission fluid.
3. Sandpoint Airport. Connecting high tech entrepreneurial businesses that operate effectively in a global marketplace should not be overlooked as part of the job creation equation. Commuter service allows business connections and will be part of our future again. City needs to consider how this important part of our regional transportation system works with rail and shipping to mitigate the higher costs of locating your business in a rural community. We need to recognize the flight training being offered to our youth that may lead to a career in aviation is part of our local education matrix.
4. Education. The Mayor and City Council must be working on the new University of Idaho Sandpoint Campus in complete partnership with Wild Rose. Public safety, traffic, health, housing, transit systems, and so much more will have to be planned in concert. Education also means that we should be encouraging, elevating, and finding ways to support and integrate the Arboretum at Lakeview Park, the Water Life Discovery Center, the Bird Museum, and Historical Museum. These are unique and valuable components of our kid's education and adult continuing education. The Library is already a community key to knowledge and we should look at the affect the new college will have and prepare accordingly.
5. Mini-Convention/Retreats. We can pursue corporate retreats or mini conventions. They come to Sandpoint and spend their money and they depart. This is perfect and if we can attract their business during the shoulder seasons it will provide an economic boon.
6. 2009 Special Olympics World Games. Can Sandpoint benefit from the exposure Idaho will garner from hosting the games? The 11 days of competition in Boise are expected to generate a total of 42.6 million dollars in direct and indirect economic impact on Boise and Idaho. We should look for ways to attract new business with good paying jobs that make their hires from our existing workforce. There is a great opportunity for earned media before or during this event. We have some outstanding competitors here in Sandpoint that have won plenty of gold in past games. As a minimum we should be promoting support from the community to finance our team and coaches as they are among Sandpoint's finest representatives.
7. Disaster Preparedness. There are long standing problems with plans to respond to a large impact crisis. Not enough first responders, communication devices, coordination of resources tactics, medical personnel, and so much more. The city needs to participate in a regional summit that includes all agencies, volunteers, and facilities that constitute the resources required to effectively handle a variety of disasters or emergencies.
8. Sandpoint Comprehensive Plan. Not enough citizens know about this plan and the opportunities they have had to participate. They should know that the city put 100,000 dollars in the budget to develop this plan and how much has been spent so far. The plan is available online. If you have not participated in the meetings for a vision of Sandpoint's future you need to know that there will be more opportunities. I would like to thank everyone who has taken time to create the plan and I know it will motivate folks to participate. I recently spent several hours at a 100 year old home on 6th Avenue with friends and this is a neighborhood that must be protected from poor planning and lack of vision. This is a terrific example of Sandpoint's legacy being preserved home by home, family by family, and is a trust that we all share even if we live in another part of town like south Sandpoint.